Gavin Newsom California

The Newsom-DeSantis Confrontation Demonstrated American Division!

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The Gavin Newsom-Ron DeSantis Fox News debate last night demonstrated American division, and a sense that America’s future is destined to be as nasty and insulting as the two men were toward each other throughout the debate hosted by Sean Hannity.

The idea that Sean Hannity would act “neutrally” as the moderator was clearly breached from the beginning, and under the circumstances, Gavin Newsom did quite well, and kept a smile and confident image.

DeSantis showed himself to be as obnoxious, cocky, and mean-spirited as he has shown himself to be all along in Florida politics, but certainly was more aggressive and on task than he has been in the three Republican Party Presidential debates so far.

It seems to this blogger and author that DeSantis will not benefit from his performance in the next Republican debate, while Newsom will remain a prime contender for the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2028, but certainly will have multiple challengers for future leadership of the party!

Fascinating Fox News Channel Debate Of Gavin Newsom And Ron DeSantis on Thursday November 30!

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This coming Thursday, November 30, Fox News Channel will host a 90 minute debate, of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, with Sean Hannity as the moderator, and with no audience.

This may well be the most significant debate of the upcoming campaign for the Presidency, as it could destroy Ron DeSantis for 2024, and elevate Gavin Newsom for a future race for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency in 2028.

DeSantis has done so poorly so far in his race for the Republican nomination, and this debate against a man much more intelligent and brilliant than he is, could destroy his national ambitions for the future, even beyond 2024!

Governorship Term Limits Likely To Affect Future Presidential Campaigns

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The American Presidency was limited in allowable terms of office by the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution in 1951, after passage by Congress in 1947, two years after Franklin D. Roosevelt, elected to a fourth term in the White House, died 82 days into that fourth term.

So even popular Presidents such as Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s, Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, and Barack Obama in the 2010s, could not have returned to the Presidency at any point after their two terms in office.

The issue of term limits also affects state governorships, as 23 states limit governors to two terms maximum consecutive terms. Three other states allow a return after one four year term away from the governorship, and one allows a return after two four year terms away from the governorship. And nine states have a lifetime limit of two terms.

So a total of 36 states limit gubernatorial terms in some form. And one state (Virginia) limits any governor to one term.

So only 13 states have no term limits, including Vermont and New Hampshire, which have terms of two years, not four years!

So when one analyzes these realities, it means governors such as the following, would have to be considered potential Presidential contenders in the future!

Ron DeSantis of Florida
Jared Polis of Colorado
Gavin Newsom of California
Brian Kemp of Georgia
Andy Beshear of Kentucky
Wes Moore of Maryland
Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan
Phil Murphy of New Jersey
Roy Cooper of North Carolina
Doub Burgum of North Dakota
Mike DeWine of Ohio
Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania
Kristi Noem of South Dakota
Glenn Youngkin of Virginia

All of the above 14, 6 Republicans and 8 Democrats, would be out of the governorship, or finishing a second term by the time of the Presidential Election of 2028.

Besides Republicans DeSantis and Burgum, who are already seeking the Presidency, there are strong rumors that other Republican Governors, Youngkin and Noem, might enter the race belatedly, and Kemp and DeWine are long shots for now or 2028!

And certainly, Democrats on this list are not running in 2024, due to Joe Biden, but certainly, it would seem likely that Polis, Newsom, Moore, Whitmer, Murphy, and Shapiro are all likely to plan to run in 2028. Less likely would be Beshear and Cooper, but being from states that Democrats have more difficulty winning, who can say they would not enter the race for President in 2028?

California Open Senate Seat Requires Having A Senator Who Will Have Longevity!

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Now that it is official that Dianne Feinstein is retiring from the Senate at the end of 2024 at the age of 91, it is urgent that the open Senate seat have a Senator who will have the opportunity to build seniority over time for the Golden State.

So Congresswoman Katie Porter (49), seen as a junior Elizabeth Warren in the sense of copying her strategy and tactics toward corporate monopolies; and Congressman Adam Schiff (62) who has compiled a wonderful record in more than twenty years in the House and was on the committee for the first Donald Trump impeachment trial, should be seen as sensible alternatives.

What is not sensible is that long term Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who has been in the House of Representatives since 1998, and has the distinction of being the only member of either house of Congress to vote against the authorization for use of military force against terrorists resolution (AUMF) after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, be elected to the Senate seat.

The question is why this author feels this way, and the answer is Lee will be past 77 if she took over the seat in January 2025, making her the oldest first Senator in history to have a full term. She has said she would only serve one term, but the concept of electing Lee is just one of ego, as this author sees it.

If however, Feinstein was to retire sooner, it would be perfectly fine for California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint Barbara Lee to fill the seat, but with the understanding that she would not seek a full term in office.

Lee is a wonderful legislator, but what is needed is the potential of a new US Senator who could gain seniority if reeelected in the future. But my admiration for her as stated in an earlier article on History News Network on March 4, 2022 still stands! And if Lee chose to remain in the House of Representatives, and facing easy reelection every two years, that is perfectly fine!

Dianne Feinstein Finally Announces Retirement, Long Overdue!

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Finally, but even with some confusion due to her forgetfulness and clearly many signs of dementia, Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein has announced she will retire at the end of her term in 2024 at the age of 91.

There were many who thought Feinstein should not have run for another six year term in 2018 at age 85.

This is not an issue of age discrimination, but simply common sense that no one should be in office and running again in the mid 80s or more in age.

Of course, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has just won another term, his eighth, at age 89, so in theory, will be in the Senate until age 95. Grassley does seem to be fine mentally, as compared to Feinstein, and he does pushups every day and shows few signs of aging. But realistically, he should not have run at his advanced age, and opened up the future to someone else.

Feinstein was an influential Senator, and made major contributions in her 30 plus years in the Senate, becoming the longest serving woman Senator in American history, surpassing Maryland Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski last November.

Common sense would have Feinstein announce her retirement, and allow California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint someone to her seat, but it looks as if only death or a serious illness will bring about the early retirement of Feinstein!

Republican Governors Vs Democratic Governors: The Future Battles!

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As one looks ahead to future political battles, one cannot ignore the growing role of Republican governors being challenged by Democratic governors, usually a “fraternity” in which the members share a “camaraderie”, but not so in 2023, 2024, and beyond!

A number of former or sitting Republican governors are seen as likely to seek the Presidency, and even those who are not seeking to “move up” are engaged in “culture wars”.

Meanwhile, Democratic governors seem unlikely to enter the Presidential race for 2024, standing by while President Joe Biden moves to run for a second term, but they are “backups” in case the situation changes, and are certainly to be seen as part of the long term future of the Democratic Party, even more than sitting members of the US Senate.

The list of Republican governors includes Ron DeSantis of Florida; Greg Abbott of Texas; Kristi Noem of South Dakota; Glenn Youngkin of Virginia; Brian Kemp of Georgia; Chris Sununu of New Hampshire; and former Governors Larry Hogan of Maryland and Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas.

The Democratic list of the Governorships has potential future Presidential contenders, including Gavin Newsom of California; J. B. Pritzker of Illinois; Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan; Jared Polis of Colorado; Jay Inslee of Washington; Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania; Wes Moore of Maryland; Phil Murphy of New Jersey; Andy Beshear of Kentucky; and Roy Cooper of North Carolina.

Never have we had so many state governors seen as potential Presidential contenders, with the reminder that in the past 100 years, we have had the following Presidents who were state governors: Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.

The Upcoming California Senate Race 2024

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In 2024, California will have a US Senate race as Dianne Feinstein will be retiring, even though she refuses to address the issue until the Spring.

There is no possible way that Feinstein, who will be 90 in June, will run again, as there are many signs that she is in early stages dementia, and should not have run in 2018 at age 85. She seems often to be unaware of events around her and to have major memory problems regarding what she has been told by her staff or others. It is simply pride and stubbornness that has prevented her from resigning in dignity.

The refusal of older members of Congress to retire when in their 80s is a sign of ego winning out over reality, as for instance, Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley winning reelection at age 89 in November 2022. Yes, Grassley is still able to do pushups and other exercises, and for now, seems fit mentally, but the idea of a Senator being in office until past age 95 is ludicrous, and if he survives until the end of 2028, he will be the oldest ever Senator except for South Carolina Republican Senator Strom Thurmond, who was clearly in dementia, but remained in his Senate seat, being guided in every way by his staff, until past age 100!

California Governor Gavin Newsom has indicated that if a vacancy was to occur by Feinstein’s leaving earlier, that he would appoint an African American woman as her replacement, with the likely choice being California Congresswoman Barbara Lee, who has been in the House of Representatives since 1998, and will be 77 this summer.

That is fine for the short term, but the idea that Lee plans to run for the open seat in 2024 when she would be past 78, and be serving until past 84, is NOT a good idea. She has said she would only serve one term, but who can say that would be fulfilled, as ego could come in the way, and she could decide to run again for a second term until age 90!

Barbara Lee has had an admirable record in the House of Representatives, but she should NOT run for a full term, and instead continue her service in the lower house, unless she is appointed, and then agrees NOT to run for the full term!

Instead, California has a choice of three Congressional members who have served well–Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Ro Khanna, all decades younger, and capable of gaining seniority and serving, in theory, for an extended period of years!

Democratic State Governors To Watch, As Future Of Party!

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Any concern about the future of the Democratic Party is gone, as once Joe Biden has become President for a second term, or decides not to run, opening up potential for other Democrats, the party has a “bench” of fantastic governors who care about public health and safety, and who are compassionate and empathetic human beings.

This is in reference to the following Democratic state governors, no special order:

Gavin Newsom of California
J B. Pritzker of Illinois
Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania
Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan
Wes Moore of Maryland
Jared Polis of Colorado
Laura Kelly of Kansas

At least the first five listed are potential Presidential contenders in the future, and with Pritzker and Shapiro being Jewish; Whitmer (along with Kelly) being female; Moore being African American; Polis being gay; and Newsom being an original promoter of gay rights and gay marriage.

At the same time, the Republicans have potential Presidential contenders, who are more concerned about being nasty, vicious, divisive, confrontational, and have no concern about public health and safety, including:

Ron DeSantis of Florida
Greg Abbott of Texas
Kristi Noem of South Dakota

There is also Chris Sununu of New Hampshire (an exception, not as extreme and confrontational as the other three listed).

Of course, there are also soon to be former governor Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas; and former governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, who are more like Chris Sununu.

Additionally, soon to be former governors Larry Hogan of Maryland and Charlie Baker of Massachusetts come across as more decent, but like Hutchinson and Christie, unlikely to get very far in the Presidential race for 2024!

Potential Future Presidential Candidates If They Win Office On Tuesday

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There are a number of Democrats running for the US Senate or the Governorships who can be seen long term as potential future Presidential candidates if they win on Tuesday.

They would include the following:

Tim Ryan running for the Senate in Ohio
Mandela Barnes running for the Senate in Wisconsin

Josh Shapiro running for the Governorship in Pennsylvania
Wes Moore running for the Governorship in Maryland
Gretchen Whitmer running for the Governorship in Michigan (reelection)
J B Pritzker running for the Governorship in Illinois (reelection)
Gavin Newsom running for the Governorship in California (reelection)
Beto O’Rourke running for the Governorship in Texas

The Public Utterances Of Larry Elder, Potential California Governor, After Recall Election On September 14!

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Larry Elder, the right wing talk show host, and an African American, seems likely to be the major threat to the tenure of California Governor Gavin Newsom in the upcoming Gubernatorial Recall election on Tuesday, September 14.

What is his record of beliefs and statements?

He is an ardent supporter of Donald Trump, regularly praising him on Twitter.

Elder has argued Trump is not responsible for the January 6, 2021 Insurrection.

In a 2000 book, he called for:

abolishing the Internal Revenue Service
creating a national sales tax
reduce government by 80 percent
end welfare and entitlements
abolish the minimum wage
eliminate corporate taxes

Also, he has condemned Lyndon B. Johnson’s “War on Poverty”; thinks the ideal minimum wage is ZERO; has condemned labor unions, and said many teachers are incompetent and should be fired; and prefers charter and private schools to public schools.

Elder also is anti abortion; anti gay; thinks California is “soft on crime”; and is a denier of climate change and the dangers of second hand tobacco smoking.

He is also against mandates on COVID 19 and masks; and sees no problem with mass rallies held by Donald Trump. Additionally, he has made highly controversial remarks on women, very misogynistic in nature.

So Elder would be a nightmare for California, and could gain the power to select the replacement for Dianne Feinstein, who might leave soon due to dementia, and that would change the political balance in the US Senate!